Fats Domino

Biography Fats Domino

Antoine Dominique Domino (Antoine Dominique Domino. b. February 26, 1928), better known as Fats Domino (Fats Domino) – American pianist and singer, one of the pioneers of rock and roll. Winner of the honorary awards Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1987) and one of the greatest musicians of the era of rock ‘n’ roll magazine Rolling Stone.

Antoine Dominique started playing piano at age 7. His own style musician drew up under the influence of pianists Albert Ammons, Meade Lewis Liu and Little Willie Littlefield, executed in the postwar years, Boogie Woogie. In 1949, already under the stage name of Fats (Fat Man), he recorded the first single Domino – The Fat Man. At the same time head of the record company introduced Domino and Dave Bartholomew, a musician, arranger and composer for several years to play jazz and boogie-woogie in New Orleans. It was Dave Bartholomew, composer and producer of most Domino hits.

In collaboration with professional musicians Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Alvin Tyler (baritone saxophone) and drummer Earl Palmer Domino and Bartholomew laid the foundations of the New Orleans rhythm and blues. In the mid-1950s, several records with these musicians did Little Richard. The composition «The Fat Man» was sold in 1950, sold over a million copies and attracted everyone’s attention to the good-natured fat man with a funny southern accent. This song is still one of the main competitors of the title of the first rock and roll record.

Until April 1955 Fats fame was limited to amateurs rhythm and blues (about 10 songs made their way into the rhythm and blues charts in the United States). African-American artists in the era of racial segregation were not popular among the white population of America. It was the first musician playing rock ‘n’ roll – Fats Domino, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, have begun blurring the boundaries of music for Afro and Anglo-Americans.

In April 1955, record company Imperial, with whom he had a contract Domino, released the single «Is not That a Shame», which became popular at the national level. In the summer of 1955 that hit the quail popular white crooner Pat Boone. Song Domino took the top of the US charts (played by the very composition of Fats got them a year later). Following the white performers of rock and roll start playing black.

Sixty-six blues and rock ‘n’ roll hits Domino technique stride-piano interspersed with boogie noted in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the most successful were the composition «Is not That a Shame» (1955) and «Blueberry Hill »(1956, also known by Louis Armstrong). In the years 1958-1960 Fats circulation records in the United States exceeded the circulations of Elvis Presley.

Since 1960, the popularity of Fats, like rock ‘n’ roll as a whole is falling. The latest hit song becomes «Heartbreak Hill», released in 1964. After that, in the US charts Fats got only twice – in 1968 with a cover of «Lady Madonna» Lennon and McCartney in 1981 with «Whiskey Heaven».

Since the 1970 Fats leaves his hometown, New Orleans, where he was a monument, only occasional concerts and anniversaries. During the hurricane “Katrina” in 2005, he had been missing, and about his house, even there mournful stretch. It subsequently emerged that the musician was evacuated during the operation of the national coast guard.